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Wednesday, January 15, 2025
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Lao Government Halts Bodyslam Concert for ASEAN Readiness

This Week

The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICT) has issued a notice suspending the concert of the famous Thai band Bodyslam, which was initially scheduled for 10 August at the Lao ITECC mall in Vientiane Capital.

This decision aims to ensure comprehensive readiness for the ASEAN meetings, which Vientiane will host from now until early November 2024. The concert must be postponed, although the exact rescheduled date has not yet been announced.

According to state media, the MICT’s Department of Information, Culture, and Tourism clarified that the concert was suspended due to several reasons:

Firstly, the concert does not comply with the law on performing arts, which stipulates that joint concerts with foreign countries must consist of 30 percent foreign artists and 70 percent Lao artists. However, this concert was entirely foreign.

Secondly, the concert did not follow the proper legal procedures and lacked approval from the MICT.

Thirdly, as Vientiane is preparing to host the ASEAN meeting and summit, the Department of Tourism needs to maintain peace and order. This requires strict control over large gatherings.

The notice also specified that concert organizers must get approval from the ministry before advertising tickets or organizing events. In this instance, the organizers did not adhere to these guidelines. Furthermore, during the ASEAN conference, large gatherings are banned to maintain safety and convenience. 

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